Battery-jar-forming machine



J. HfwAGENHORST.

BATTERY JAR FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1918.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

swan/107196 j m PM 3 SHEETS-SHEET Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

I. H. WAGENHORST.

APPLICATIONEILED SEPT. 14. 1918.

- I [libel ([01 chmesflil/hyenharsf mmm' I BATTERY lAR FORMING MACHINE.

J. H. WAGENHORST.

BATTERY JAR FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATIONFILED SEPT. 14, 1918.

1 ,338,4:70. Patented Apr. 27 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED sTArgs PATENT. OFFICE.

JAMES H. WAGENHOBST, 0F AKRON, OHIO.

BATTERY-JAR-FORMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 2'7, 1920.

Application filed September 14, 1918. Serial No. 254,088.

I have been made to provide molding or form- 111g machines for this work, it is still the general practice, so far as I am aware, to form the jars from sheets of rubber laid on a mandrel and joined at the bottom edges and the side seam by hand labor. My invention has for its object to provide an improved jar-forming device which will eliminate much of the excessive bulk and complication of prior devices intended for the purpose, and which, by dispensing with the need of high skill and the slow operations of hand manufacture, will improve the prodnot and enable it to be made at a reduced cost.

Of the accompanying drawings,

1 Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a jar-forming machine embodying my invention, with the 'work in position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, with the wrapping box opened out.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the machine, showing the partly-formed jar. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail-cross-section,

illustrating the formation of the side seam:

Fig. 6 is-a face view of the bottom-pressing plunger.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a modifica' tion which constitutes a preferred form of the invention, the machine being closed.

Fig. 8 is an end view thereof. Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7

One of the principal features of the invention consists ofmeans such as a series of hinged plates for wrapping the sideforming sheet abouta core or mandrel without any relative movement occurring between the plates and the stock. The mandrel is preferably placed in a horizontal position and the hinged plates, when closed, form a box or casing around it. Other features comprise means, preferably located on the hinged plates, for turning the bottom edges of the sheet, means for pressing said. edges to form the bottom seams, means for forming and trimming the side seam, a novel mandrel holder and a mode of mounting said holder to swing into and out of operative position.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, 10 is a base or frame at one end of which a mandrel-holder 11 is pivoted on a horizontal pin 12. 13 is the core or mandrel of the usual prismatic form for making battery jars, having top and bottom faces and four side faces, of which latter two are wide and two are narrow, giving an oblong cross-section. In this case I provide the mandrel along its top edges with a head flange 14 for detachably connecting it with the holder 11 by means of over-hooking plates 15, 16 on the latter, said plates forming a lower horizontal groove and two vertical grooves occupied by the corresponding edges or tenons of the head-flange, whereby a sliding tongue-andgroove interlocked engagement is effected. The pivoting of the holder permits the latthe mandrel may occupy an inverted, vertical position when it is to be connected with and disconnected from the holder, and while the bottom-forming sheet of stock is being applied to the mandrel. abutment 17 on the back of the mandrel holder is supported on a stop or rest 18 on the base 10. In its operative position,

In this position, an.

' ter to be swung upward and outward so that the side-forming sheet upon the openedout wrapping box, and the performance of the various operations upon the work. I

The wrapping box 19 comprises five plates 20, 21, 21*, 22 and 23, connected by four sets of hinges 24, 25, and having a collective width sufficient to inclose the mandrel with an intervening space on all sides equal to the thickness of the jar walls. The lower plate 20 is bolted to the base 10, and the two wider side-forming plates 21, 21 are provided on their backs with bosses 26 which rest upon supporting members 27 on the base when the box is opened out as in Fig. 3. These three plates coact with the corresponding three sides of the mandrel. while the two terminal plates 22, 23 coact with the fourth side. The plates 22, 23 are provided with over-center tension springs 28 attached to pins 29, 30 on said plates and the hinges 24 respectively, for holding these plates under pressure in either their openedout or their closed positions, their opening movement being limitedby the abutting of their rear edge faces against the adjacent edge faces of the plates 21, 21 as indicated in Fig. 4. \Vhen the members of the two pairs of plates 21, 23 and 21 22 are in this relation, the tension of the springs 28 permits either pair to be swung as a unit on the lower hinge 24, by grasping the handle 43 or 39 on the corresponding terminal plate; and when the plate 21 or 21 is stopped by contact of the work with the side of the mandrel, a further exertion of force on the handle causes the terminal plate to swing over on the narrow upper face of the mandrel.

The two terminal plates 22, 23 act as folders for the two ends or margins of the side-forming sheet, and they also form the side seam. On these plates I provide a pair of coacting longitudinal, hardened edgepieces or blades 31, 32 for forming the seam, said blades having a shearing action to trim off the excess from the overlapping edge of the material.

The left-hand edges of the several folder plates, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, are pro vided with shallow, inwardlydirected flanges 33, 34, 34 35, 36, having concave forming faces, for the purpose of turning the edges of the side-forming sheet around those of the bottom-forming sheet to make the bottom edge seams.

For clamping the four folder-plates 20. 21, 21 and 22 together in closed position upon the work, I provide a hand-lever 37 hung on a pivot 38 between the arms of a fork 39 which projects from the plate 22. sald lever having a hub cam 40 adapted to engage a complemental locking member or keeper 41 on the folder-plate 21, there bemg an adjustable stop-screw 42 on the camlever for limiting the amount of squeezing pressure which may be applied. Plate 23 s not subject to the clamping pressure but is provided with a separate operating han- -dle 43, so that independent pressure may be applied to theside seam, the amount of this pressure being limited by an adjustable stop-screw 44 whose inner end engages the back of the plate 22.

An important detail consists in locating the axes of the hinges 24, 25 in the planes of the inner faces of the hinged sections, so that these axes coincide with the geometrical corners of the finished jar. By using a wrapping box, especially when provided with this hinge-axis location, all harmful drawing, rolling, buckling and distortion of the stock is avoided, and it becomes possible to make a jar without providing the usual facing-sheets of tin on the stock to reinforce it during manipulation. 1Vhile I might employ this tin facing where desired to have a polished outer surface on the finished work, it is preferred to dispense therewith on account of the resulting saving in cost of manufacture.

45 is the side-forming sheet of material and 46 the bottom-forming sheet. 47, 47 are the deep internal ribs on the bottom of the jar, known at lugs, for supporting the battery plates, the bottom of the mandrel 13 being recessed in the usual way to receive these lugs.

48 is a head or plunger carried on the end of a rod 49. which is mounted for horizontal sliding movement in bearings 50 on the frame and actuated by a hand-lever 51. the latter being pivoted to said frame at 52. and connected with the head 48 by a pair of links 53, said links and the short arm of the lever constituting a toggle. The forward and rearward movements of the head are limited by stops 54, 55, the former being adjustable. On the edges of the plunger 48 are mounted four forwardly-projecting plates 56 for compressing the inwardly-turned edges 57 of the side-forming sheet 45 which overlap the margins of the bottom-forming sheet 46 to constitute the bottom seams, these presser plates 56 slid ing on the edge-turning flanges 33, 34, 34. 35, 36 of the folder sections. The ends of the presser plates, as well as the ends of the edge-turning flanges when the box is closed, meet so as to form two'complete uadrangles.

58 is a bottom-pressing and embossing plate slidingly mounted on front of the plunger 48 between the plates 56. this plate being yieldingly backed by springs 59 which surround guide-pins 60 attached to said plate and projecting through holes in the plunger 48, the forward motion of plate 58 on the plunger being limited by the heads of the pins. Transverse grooves 61 are formed in the face of the plate 58 opposite the lugs 47 to mold shallow embossed reinforcing and jar supporting ribs under the lugs 47, these ribs in the finished jar being with the wrapping" box 19 opened out fiat,

as shown in Fig. 3, and the mandrel holder 11 turned up from the position represented in'the drawings, so that a core or mandrel 13 engaged therewith by means of the tongue-and-groove connection 514, 15, 16 will occupy an inverted vertical position. In this position, the pieces of raw stock for forming the lugs 47 may be readily inserted in their grooves, and the bottom-forming sheet 46 accurately laid upon and supported by theend of themandrel. A side-forming sheet cut to the proper size is laid upon the opened-out box 19 and properly registered.

i I with the edges thereof, its bottom edge being slightly overlapped upon the edge-turning plates 33,34,343 35, 36. The holder 11 and mandrel 13 are then swung down into horizontal operative position, and theplunger 48 is advanced until its presser-plate 58 rests against the work to hold the bottom sheet in place as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the lever 51 keeping the parts in this position 1 while the side wrapping is performed. Then the free sections 21, 21 22, 23 of the wrapping box,- carrying with them the superimposed portions of the side-forming sheet 45, are closed upon the mandrel. First, the two wider. side sections 21', 21 are swung upwardly into position, and then the section 22 isturned over on the upper side of the' mandrel and clamped to the section 21 by means of the lever 37, causing a locking engagement of the cam 40 and keeper 41 which produces, a pressure upon the work; The final step in the side-folding operation consists in turning the folder section '23 and its corresponding sheet portion over upon the upper face of the mandrel by means of the handle 43 as indicated in Fig. '5, and applying pressure to the side seam formed by the overlapping skived edges of the sheet 45.'

the wrapping .box while said box is opened out, and when the wrapping has taken place, there will be a perfect meeting of the edges of the stock at the side seam, and a proper initiation of'the bottom seamsby overlapping on the sheet 46. The wrapping action is progressive and avoids the entrapping of air. At the four corners of the bottom edges the coming together of the miter'ed ends of the turning flanges 33, 34, 34 35,

36 so gathers and pinches the stock that the subsequent compression by the plates 56 thoroughly perfects the seams at these important points. The final closing movement of section 23 causes a shearing action of blade 32 against blade 31, whichtrims 01f the excess of material on the outer side of exertion of pressure uponthe hand-lever 51,

the plunger 48 is then further advanced,

carrying with it the yieldingly-mounted plate 58 which compresses and embosses the bottom sheet 46 as previously described, and consolidates it with the lugs 47 while the seam-pressing plates 56 on the plunger compresses the inwardly-turned edges 57 of the side sheet 45 and perfect the bottom seams, the inward flow of the material parallel to the bottom being limited by the edge, faces of the plate 58, so that these corner seams are fully confined on all sides during the compressing action. The wrapping box is then unclamped and opened out, and the mandrel 13, with the formed ar thereon, is swung upwardly into vertical position. It may then be removed by sliding it from the holder 11 and the jar vulcanized inthe usual manner while still on the mandrel. A fresh mandrel is then substituted and the foregoing operations repeated.

It will be seen that this apparatus is very simple and easy to operate, and may be constructed at relatively small cost compared to prior machines intended for a similar purpose. The product is superior to the average'of hand-made jars and the saving of expense over hand labor is very considerable.

Various changes of embodiment are within the scope of the invention.

I have shown certain modifications in Figs. 7 to 9, wherein the same referencecharacters, in general, represent the same or similar parts as in gs. 1 to 6. The most important difference consists in an altered arrangement of the operating mechanism for the terminal folder-plates or sections 22, 23, my principal object in'this connection being to inter-engage these sections in the act gof forming the side seam, and thus min'mize' the effect of the personal equation of the operator which enters to some extent when the final pressure is exerted on one of these folder-sections independently of the other. The folder-section 22 in this case has only latching engagement with the the sections 21 and 23, there being stopscrews 63 on these arms to engage the pintles and limitthe closing .movement of section 22. One of the arms hasa handle extension 64 for manipulating said folder section 22. The folder section 23 is formed with a pair of arms 65 between which is pivoted, on a hinge pin 66, a clamping lever 67 formed with a hub-cam 68 adapted to engage a complemental'lockihg member or keeper 69 on the back'of the folder section 22, there being, a stop-screw 70 on the cam-lever for engagement with said folder section to limit the clampingmovement of the lever. An over-center spring 71 extending between a 1 pin 72 on the clamping lever and a pin 73 on one of the arms 65 holds the clamping lever in either its retracted or its projected position with reference'to the folder section 23. y A stop 74 on the clamping lever engages a projections75 on said holder section. to limit the retracting movement. The over-center springs 28 of Figs. 1 to 6 are in this case omitted.

The folding-over ofthe terminal flaps and the formation of the side seam are effected in this modified embodiment by first turning the. folder section 22 into the position indicated in Figs. 6,7 and 8 and latching a to the folder section-21 by means of the memq bers 62 and 25. Then the handle of the clamping lever 67 is grasped and the folder section 23 turned over nearly into the position shown in Fig. 9, a continuation of this turning movement causing the cam 68 on a said lever to interlock with the folder section 22 and clamp all-parts of the folder firmly upon the work, the seam being compressed and trimmed by-the final movement of folder section 23' which squeezes out and pinches off the small strip 76 of excess rubbeistockshown in said view. N

Other changes of a minor character consist in a slight difference in the shape and arrangement of the folder sections 22, 23 and their hardened plates 31, 32 over the previously-described embodiment, as is apparent in the drawings, the modified arrangement providing sections of equal width which meet in the middle; also the provision of separate face-plates 77 on the folder sections 21, 21, secured by screws 78 and backed by shims 79 for the purpose of gag ing the width, of the clearance spaces occupied by the side walls of the jar; together with a crank handle 80 for conveniently manipulating the pivoted mandrel-holder 11.

' 11.v In a jar-forming machine, the com bination of a mandrel, and. means for progressively wrapping a sheet of-stock about said mandrel without relative movement between said means and the stock.

2. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a prismatic mandrel, and a wrapping box composed of sections hinged together at points corresponding to the side edges or corners of said mandrel.

3. In a jar-forming machine, the comi bination of a prismatic. mandrel, and a wrapping box composed of sections complemental to the sides of said mandrel and hinged together on axes in the planes of the inner faces of the sections corresponding to the corner edges of the work.

fold a plastic sheet of material about said.

mandrel and form a longitudinal seam at the meeting edges of said sheet on the upper side ofthe mandrel.

6. In a j ar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel, and a wrapping box 1 composed of hinged sections adaptedto inclose said mandrel, the adjacent edges of the two terminal sections acting as seamforming members for a sheet of plastic material.

7. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a prismatic mandrel, and a wrapping box composed of intermediate and terminal sections hinged together on axes corresponding to the side edges of the mandrel, the two terminal sections meeting be- 7 tween the edges of'one of the mandrel sides. 8. .\In a jar-forming machine, the com bination of a mandrel having four sides and 5 topandbottom faces, and a hinged wrap- I ping box composed of three sections complemental to three of the sides-of said mandreland two terminal sections complemental-to the fourth side, 'L':

9. In a jar-forming machine, the coinbination of a mandrel, and a box composed of hinged sections for wrapping a sheet of stock about said mandrel, said box including terminal sections adapted to form and trim the longitudinal side seam at the'e'nds' of saidsheet.

10. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel, and a pair ofhinged folding members operating against one side 1 of said mandrel and having coacting seamforming trimming blades on their adjacent edges.

11. bination of a mandrel, a box comprising hinged sections for wra ping a sheet of together upon t e work.

In a jar-forming machine, the com-'-v stock about said mandre and means for v v 12. In a jar-forming machine, the c0m bination of a mandrel, a box comprising hinged sections for progressively wrapping a sheet of stock about said mandrel, without relative movement between said sections and the work, and means for clamping together, in operative relation to the work, the two terminal sections of said box. I

13. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a four-sided mandrel," a box composed of five hinged sections for Wrapping a sheet of stock about said mandrel, and clamping means connecting the two terminal sections for drawing all of said sections against the work.

14. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel, a box' composed of sections hinged together at the lateral side corners of the mandrel and adapted completely to surround said mandrel for wrapping a sheet of-stock about the latter, and a single clamping means for pressing said sections together upon the work.

15. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a four-sided mandrel, a wrapping box composed of three intermediate and two terminal sections hinged together, means for interlatching one of said terminal sections and the intermediate section to which the other terminal section is hinged, and interlocking clamping members for drawing. the two terminal sections together against the work.

. 16. In a jar-forming machine, the comb1-' nation of a mandrel adapted to receive a bottom-forming sheet of stock on its end face and side-forming stock on its side faces, and a hinged series of edge-turning members Working across the bottom edges of the side faces.

17 In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel, and a wrapping box composed of hinged sections for inclosing the sides of said mandrel and provided with bott'om-edge-turning members.

18. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel adapted to receive a bottom-forming sheet of stock on its end face and side-forming stock on its side faces, edge-turning members working across the bottom edges of said faces and forming an inclosure in their'projected positions, and bottom-seam-compressing means working within said inclosure.

19. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel,a hinged series of turning members working across the bottom edges of the mandrel sides and adapted to form an inclosure in their projected positions, and bottom-seam-compressing means working endwise of the mandrel within said inclosure.

20. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel, a wrapping box composed of hinged sections for inclosing the mandrel and forming aninclosure, and a bottom presser working within said inclosure. 1

22. In a jar-forming machine, thecombination of a mandrel, bottom-seam-turning means coacting therewith, a plunger movable endwise of the mandrel and having bottom-seam-pressing means around its edges, and a yieldingly-projected bottom presser plate mounted on the face of 'said plunger.

23. In a ar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel of substantially rectangular cross-section, and a series of turning members working across the bottom edges of the mandrel sides and hinged to} gether at four points corresponding to the four corner edges of the mandrel, said mem-' coacting therewith, bottom-seam-- bers having continuous operating portions which substantially meet at their ends when closed together.

' 24:. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel holder, a mandrel detachably connected therewith and having a substantially horizontal operative position, means for progressively wrapping a sheet of stock about the sides of said mandrel, and means for exerting endwise pressure against a sheet of stock applied to the vertical bottom face of said mandrel.

25. In a jar-forming machine, the combination ofa mandrel holder. pivoted to swing to operative and'inoperative positions, and means for applying sheet stock to a mandrel operatively positioned on said holder to form a jar thereon;

26. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel having a substantially horizontal operative position, a holder adapted to support'the mandrel in said pos'ition and pivoted to swing the mandrel into an inoperative upright position, and means for applying sheet material to said mantially upright inoperative position, a man- I drel having a sliding'interlocked engagement with said holder, and means for applying sheet material to said mandrel.

28. In a jar-forming machine, the combination ofa wrapping box composed of hinged sections adapted to be extended in a substantially horizontal position-, a mandrel having a horizontal operative position over one of said sections, and a pivoted holder adapted to support the mandrel in said operative position and also in an upright inoperative position exposing the whole of said wrapping box.

29. In a jar-forming machine, the combination of a mandrel, a pivoted holder adapted to support the same in a horizontal operative position and also adapted to swing it upwardly into an inoperative position, means for applying sheet material to the sides of said mandrel, and means for applying horizontal endwise pressure to a sheet of material on the bottom of said mandrel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of September,

JAMES H. WAGENHORST 

